Book Reviews - Summer 2000

A garden in my life - Walking in Peakland - Pub Strolls in Derbyshire - Rocky Rambles in the Peak District - Prehistory in the Peak - Rock Around the Peak - Derbyshire Blue John - Starting out in local history -
Tracing the History of Houses - Tracing the History of Villages - The Local Historian's Glossary


Many readers will have had the opportunity to visit Fanshawe Gate Hall garden during one of its open days in June or July each year in aid of the National Gardens Scheme. If you have, the chances are, you will have marvelled at the sympathetic setting they provide to the 16th century hall itself. Few good things happen by accident and it is fitting then, that owner Cynthia Ramsden has been persuaded to set down the story of the gardens development over the last 40 years in 'A garden in my life'.

This is a beautiful and fascinating book packed with excellent colour photographs and drawings both illustrating the garden and a visual delight in themselves. The evolution of the garden since 1960 is fleshed out with old photographs and planting plans. There are sections on mixed borders and water in the garden, plenty of advice and even the local wildlife is not forgotten. And as a desert there are even some of the recipes for the meals Cynthia prepares for visitors - delicious. This is definitely a present that will appeal to many and not just garden enthusiasts. Or you could treat yourself!

'A garden in my life' is published in hardback by Grafica Ltd price £25 ISBN 0-9541089-0-6
Profits from the sale of the book will be donated to Macmillan Cancer Relief and the Oesophageal Patients Assn. You can order direct from Grafika Ltd Tel: 01629 813300 or using the order form on www.fgh.org.uk The book is available retail in Waterstones (Orchard Square), the Bakwell Bookshop, Peak Bookshop (Chesterfield) and Country Book Store (Hassop) as well as Garden Centres around Sheffield and north Derbyshire.

Peak District Books:

Undoubtedly we are fortunate in having the Peak District on our doorstep. There can be few more attractive or interesting areas of the country and hence its popularity with visitors. This popularity has not gone unnoticed by publishers, who have made it one of the most researched and written about areas of the British Isles. Which is good news for us! The following publications are just some of the newest books available, covering a wide range of subjects. There is something for everyone here and some ideal Christmas gifts:

Out and About:

I once heard it said that the Peak District was made for walking, with its tremendous variety of scenery and physical challenges. One way of experiencing these is to follow Walking in Peakland a newly published Cicerone Guide price £9. Written by experienced author Roger Redfern, who lives in the Peak District. The book details some 16 circular and linear routes in its 125 pages, ranging from 6 to 42 miles and spread across parts of South Yorkshire, Cheshire and Derbyshire.

Each walk is outlined with map reference, distance and suggested parking, a description of the route and points of interest on the way. Illustrated with simple sketch maps, colour photographs and line drawings, this is a book perhaps best suited to the intermediate category of walker, but capable of enthusing anyone looking for a good days exercise. Written in his own easy style, Roger introduces the reader to a wide range of scenery and man made features. Walking in Peakland ISBN 1-85284-315-2

Pub Strolls in Derbyshire is aimed at a different kind of traveller, not yet into serious walking or ready for a more leisurely pace. Illustrated in full colour, it contains 30 short walks of 2 ½ to 4 miles, designed for all age groups, and all crucially based on a good local pub. For each walk there is information on how to get there and where to park, a simple well drawn map, details of the route and place of interest to visit nearby. Finally each pub is pictured along with details of its menu and opening hours.

Altogether 96 pages to tempt you out into the Derbyshire countryside and visit places as far apart as Ashover, 'Cardale' in the 'Peak Practice' TV series, or Swarkestone south of Derby, where a cairn marks the spot where Bonnie Prince Charlie turned back in 1745. Published by Countryside Books, Pub Strolls in Derbyshire costs £7.95 - ISBN 1-85306-671-0

A new book Rocky Rambles in the Peak District, published by Sigma Leisure, brings a different slant to travelling on foot. Author and geologist Fred Broadhurst has put together a collection of 18 walks for those interested in understanding the world under their feet and all about them. The book starts with a brief introduction to the geology of the Peak, then sets out walks in different geological areas before finishing with a full glossary of terms. Basic information on where to park and start, distances and refreshments sets the scene, before each walk is detailed. Points of geological or landscape interest are highlighted and explained.

One soon realises how varied the geology of the Peak District is and its fascination to early geologists in their quest for an understanding of the geological processes and sequences, or of how geology and physical processes have shaped our landscape today. From Sandstone to Limestone, from Lava to Lead, from Fossils to Landslips, the book will give you a different view and understanding of the landscape around us. Rocky Rambles in the Peak District, runs to 157 pages, price £ 7.95 ISBN 1-85058-750-7

Exploring the Peak District is something most of us have done to a greater or lesser extent. Is there anything left to discover? Knowing where to look and what you are looking at is half the secret, and a handy little guide Peak District Secrets & Curiosities is just the job.
Produced by Lindsey Porter and published by Landmark Publishing, it contains over 100 colour and black and white pictures of buildings and features you might well have missed. Curbar well? The carving of Penelope Boothby at Ashbourne Church? The Cheese Press by the George Hotel in Hathersage? The Dipping or Plague Stone on Whaley Moor? Peak District Secrets & Curiosities is available at less than half price to readers £ £1.99 + 75p p&p from Landmark Publishing Ltd, 12 Compton, Ashbourne, Derbyshire, DE6 1DA. Tel: 01335 347349

Into the past:

There have probably been people living in the Peak District for the last half-a-million years, populations advancing and retreating. Firstly with the movements of ice sheets during the Ice Ages, then, following game and changes in vegetation, or simply reflecting the ebb and flow of population pressure, from Roman expansion to Dark Age decline. Man, like nature, has left his mark on the Peak area, which is now recognised as important for the prehistoric monuments that can still be identified.

Prehistory in the Peak, has been written by Mark Edmunds, reader in Landscape Archeology, at the University of Sheffield, with pictures by Tim Seaborne. It looks at, and speculates on, the meaning of visible structures, while allowing the reader to follow the changing character of the region over time, the way different landscapes were inhabited and people's lives shaped. For the serious student or keen amateur, Prehistory in the Peak is published by Tempus Publishing Ltd price £15.99 ISBN 0-7524-1483-6

Rock Around the Peak is a far more populist book catering for a growing public interest in Megalithic Monuments. Some 36 sites are identified and grouped into henges, stone circles, monuments to the dead, rock art and defensive sites, with an introduction to each section. Many sites comprise a collection of features and these are outlined in terms of access, a detailed description and general comments. There is also a useful glossary, bibliography and index. Whether as an introduction to megalithic monuments, adding interest to a planned walk, or a reference source, Rock Around the Peak is good value at £7.95. Published by Sigma Leisure ISBN 1-85058-742-6

Blue John has been mined as a semi-precious ornamental stone for more than 200 years, it's name first appearing in documents dating from 1766. Actually a variety of the common mineral, fluorspar, it is prized for its multi-coloured banding, with a combination of colour and banding, unique to the Castleton area.

Derbyshire Blue John, a new book by Trevor Ford, sets out to detail every aspect of the mineral from its geological origins to its mining and working into items of great beauty, especially in the 18th century. The book is well illustrated with diagrams and pictures of the ore and examples of the items made from it, ranging from jewellery to a Blue John window, now in the Stockport museum. If you have ever admired the mineral in Castleton's shops, you might also be in interested in the list of notable Blue John collections, to be found in the book. Derbyshire Blue John, price £5.95, is produced by Landmark Publishing Ltd, ISBN 1-873775-19-9.

Delving into local history

There can be few of us, who have not at some stage in our lives, wondered about the history of where we live and felt a desire to find out more. How did our village get its name, who lived here, how old is that house, why is there such a sharp bend in the road? Everything that we see today, must have an explanation, but where do we start finding out? Between them, four new books from Countryside books of Newbury, Berkshire, can get you on the right trail and generate a lifetime interest.

Starting out in local history is just what its title suggests. Written by Simon Fowler, Editor of Family History Monthly, it is a beginners guide for those starting out on a voyage of discovery. Written on the basis of no previous knowledge, it sets out to encourage you to look at your surroundings for clues, explains how to do research and where to find local records. Looking at industry, the way people worked and how they lived are also covered. Finally there is a straightforward glossary of terms and sources, with suggestions for further reading. It won't be long before you discover your particular interests and follow a trail of your own.

Every building can tell a story, with visual clues as to when it was built and who it was built for. Chapters in its life are often recorded through a history of alterations and extensions. Tracing the History of Houses provides an introduction to the evolution of houses, from the medieval period to the 20th century. Changes of style and materials used in visual features, such as roofs, walls, doors, windows and chimneys help to provide accurate dating techniques. Buildings can be a valuable resource of local history, even when written records do not exist.

The English Village is at the heart of so much of our history and exists in a wide variety of forms, depending on when or where they are built. Tracing the History of Villages, by Trevor Yorke, takes us through the history of the English village, from early prehistoric settlement to the impact of industry and the beginnings of suburbia. Illustrated with a large number of informative photographs and drawings the book helps identify the features of each period of evolution. There is a separate chapter for those wishing to trace the history of a specific village, listing areas in which to begin research, books that may help, and places to visit for advice.

Any study of local history will throw up unfamiliar words and phrases, making a comprehensive glossary, an essential reference tool. The Local Historian's Glossary of Words and Terms compiled by Joy Bristow, includes over 3000 words and terms, including some Latin ones, along with details of the reigns of English monarchs, old weights and measures and coinage. Dipping into its pages can also be informative and entertaining. Did you know that 'rotten stone' comes from the Peak District, and was used in the polishing of iron, by the manufacturers of Sheffield?

Starting out in local history £7.95 - 112 pages ISBN 1 85306-686-9
Tracing the History of Houses £9.95 - 218 pages ISBN 1-85306-644-3
Tracing the History of Villages £9.95 - 192 pages ISBN 1-85306-712-1
The Local Historian's Glossary £9.95 - 255 pages ISBN 1-85306-707-5


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